Preferred Name Option to be Offered for SDSU Diplomas
Beginning with the fall 2020 graduation period, students will be able to request that their preferred name be printed on SDSU diplomas.
Beginning with the fall 2020 graduation period, students will be able to request that their preferred name be printed on SDSU diplomas.
Recognizing that people may choose to identify themselves using a name other than their legal name, San Diego State University students will soon have the option to request that their preferred first name be printed on their diplomas.
“Transgender and non-binary students and staff have been vocal about the need to update policies that guide how names are printed on diplomas,” said J. Luke Wood, SDSU’s Chief Diversity Officer.
As a result of this advocacy, Enrollment Services and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion have announced that beginning with the fall 2020 graduation period, students will have that option available. Currently, students are able to complete a preferred name change form with the Registrar’s Office to update their name in many locations on campus including faculty classroom rosters, faculty grade rosters, Blackboard and their RedID cards.
Beginning in fall 2020, when applying for graduation in WebPortal, all students will be presented with the name options currently on their record, including their legal name and preferred name, if applicable. Students will be able to choose from these options to request the name they would like printed on their diploma.
“As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are continuing to identify ways to improve policy practice and the overall climate for our campus community, including ways we support our SDSU transgender and non-binary community members,” Wood said.
“We want to affirm our support for the rights and dignity of students, faculty, and staff of all genders, gender identities, and gender expressions,” Wood said.
Affirming step
Wesley Palau, assistant coordinator of the Pride Center, said: "The opportunity for students to have their name reflected on their hard-earned degree is not only respectful, but incredibly affirming for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming SDSU graduates."
“Numerous higher education institutions nationwide, including the University of Washington, Stanford University, and the University of Denver, have introduced similar policies, granting individual preference in how students are identified, whether on diplomas, in campus directories or in classrooms, for example, without pursuing a legal name change,” explained Jessica Nare, Associate Chief Diversity Officer for Student Engagement. “We want to continue eliminating barriers to student success and creating a campus environment where transgender and non-binary students can thrive.”
“It is our hope that this policy update will help us to continue to recognize the important contributions that transgender and non-binary students make on our campus,” said Rayanne Williams, SDSU’s Registrar. “We strongly affirm our commitment to a diverse campus culture that is a welcoming and inclusive and will continue to reassess our campus policies to be aligned with this goal.”
Wood also said SDSU continues to urge all campus community members to be proactive in learning about and gaining a stronger awareness of those who are fighting against marginalization, including transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Accepting atmosphere
Campus resources include SDSU’s Pride Center, which fosters a safe and inclusive space for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+), and the SafeZones training program. Both provide ongoing opportunities to learn about strategies to create a campus atmosphere that is welcoming, informative, educational, and safe for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“We have such gratitude for the leaders in our LGBTQIA+ community for their advocacy in raising awareness about this concern and thank them for their work,” Wood said.
